I have not written to this blog in quite a long time. Specifically, I haven't posted at all since November 9 2022, and I haven't written an “Update”-type post since February 1 2022, which was 2 years and 1 month ago. However, that does not mean kimwrate.com has gone without activity since then. Unfortunately, I do not have a great way of informing people when I make an update to the website, except for this blog. Perhaps it would serve us well if I did write a short blog post any time I make a significant update to the website. However, I generally prefer to do things quietly, so we shall see about that.
A Picture of Equilibrium
In the February 1 2022 “Update” post, I stated that, “I will have to try my best to present a complete picture of what it takes to attain equilibrium.” Consequently, 9 months later, on November 18 2022, I launched the Equilibrium Archive. The Equilibrium Archive is my attempt to clarify and organize the most important, essential, and perhaps hard-to-find knowledge necessary to achieve equilibrium on, for, and with planet Earth. To work towards and achieve equilibrium is to secure a healthy and sustainable future for this planet and for the human species, aligned with the purpose for which we were created.
A Tale of Two Jobs
Several other significant events took place in the Fall of 2022. One is that I began to work at a facility which produces none other than the alloy known as nitinol. You may have noticed that nitinol has a place in the Equilibrium Archive. In the February 1 2022 “Update” post, I mentioned that I was hunting for a new job. Along the way, I was informed about the existence of this nitinol-producing facility. From here on out, I will refer to it as a “nitinol mill,” though I don't know whether that is an accurate name for the place. Anyway, I had first learned about nitinol and its potential from my friend Brian Harner a year prior. I was amazed that this alloy, which is produced by relatively few organizations anywhere in the world, had been right under my nose all this time. Even so, I did not end up working at the nitinol mill until September of 2022. Instead, in February of that year, I chose to work at a sheet metal fabrication shop, where I was hired on to make programs for the CNC lasers, punch presses, and press brakes. In September 2022, I left that job for the nitinol mill, but I left with the stated intention to return part-time. In January of 2023, I returned to my sheet metal job part-time, while simultaneously working full-time at the nitinol mill. Such has been my employment situation ever since. Indeed, for the last 14 months, I have been working 67-75 hours per week before overtime. For the record, my longest workweek ever is 88 hours in 6 days.
A Relationship
Another event which took place in Fall of 2022 is that I set out with intentions to post regularly to my Facebook account. I mainly wanted to share life events, so I could show people what I am trying to achieve. Before long, I was contacted by a man whom I had not spoken to before, but I recognized his name from the sheet metal job I had just resigned from. The conversation did not go well between us, and I decided to take a break from posting on Facebook. One year and one month later, on November 25, 2023, that man became my boyfriend. We reconnected when I returned to my sheet metal job in January of 2023. Between then and the time we began dating, I sized him up as being mentally, intellectually, and morally fit to attempt to spend his life with me. I took pains to assure he did not have any misconceptions about what he was getting himself into. I thought something surely would break his will to be with me, but so far, nothing has. I confess- and I assure you he knows this-, that I am capitalizing on his attraction to me in order to teach him about equilibrium. Call it “cruel” if you will, but, hey-- I need some way of directing people's attention on to what is truly important in life! At this point, it is hard for me to take a reasonable guess as to how he will fare in the long run. What I can say is that he is trying to understand, and when it is feasible, he does help me with certain tasks from time to time. Usually those tasks involve working on motor vehicles, chainsaws, or trees.
I have considered that one way to move forward with this blog is to write about the process of me teaching him, as well as any relevant projects we undertake together. Maybe people would find this semi-interesting to follow, and they also would get to witness the actions and the learning process of someone who is more normal, and therefore more relatable, than I am. My boyfriend claims he has not written so much as an e-mail since he was in high school, so he is pretty different from me in some ways.
A Piece of Land
You may be wondering why I have been working two jobs for the last 14 months. The idea arose in August 2022, when my intention to resign from my sheet metal job coincided with Brian's neighbor requesting to buy his car. Brian gave me most of the money from the sale. I swore to him that I would use it for only the most righteous of purposes. It occurred to me that this money would be a great start to a savings account which I could use to buy land. It then occurred to me that I could accumulate money in that account even faster by working two job simultaneously. Consequently, in July of 2023, I purchased 18 acres of land in upstate New York. This took place 8 months after the sale of the car, and 6 months after I began working two jobs. I am unsure of how much information I shall divulge about my land at this point. What I will say is that I managed to buy the property nearly-outright. I took out a $5000 loan from the bank, and paid it off within 6 weeks, so I do indeed own the land outright with no debts. I have taken care to avoid being in debt at any point in my life, except for those 6 weeks when I had the loan. As much as possible, I prefer the “old school” approach of living within my means, saving my money, and then buying things with cash. Being in debt is something which people take for granted as just being a normal part of life. I realize that debt may be difficult to avoid, but it is both individual choices, and probably more so our collective choices as a society which have made debt difficult to avoid. Those “collective choices” mainly refer to what the housing situation has become, which is hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to build houses which will end up being mostly-rebuilt within 100 years. “Collective choices” also refer to us allowing ourselves to be ruled by money, and therefore by people who have the most control over the most money. I abhor debt because the debtor is essentially owned by the creditor for the duration of the debt. Debt enables the credtiors to exercise power over the debtors. Additionally, debt is generally bad for the economy. We should have learned that the hard way with the Great Depression of the 1930s, but instead it looks like we insist on learning that again.
Anyway, back to my life. All I have done with my land so far is clear a rudimentary driveway and other paths, establish a likewise-rudimentary storage area for my hand tools, and explore the property. In the Summer and Fall of 2023, I tried to make as much time to work at my land as I could. Once per week, I would work overnight at my full-time job from 11:30PM-8:00AM, then work at my part-time job from 9:00AM-3:30PM, then drive an hour to my land, do some work there for about 2 hours, drive an hour back home, and get 2 or 3 hours of sleep before going to work at my full-time job. So, I have not come a long way with the property yet, but I have plans. This land is where the “Equilibrium Archive” will be put into practice.
A (The?) Present
Now I will discuss the present. I have been intending to write an “Update” post for a couple weeks, at least. What prompted me to write it today is that Brian's living situation has once again become uncertain, just like it was when I began talking to him in August 2020. Admittedly, while I am grateful that he and I have been able to talk to one another for much longer than we originally expected, I am feeling pretty sorry about how little I appear to have achieved since then. Maybe you would think that in 3.5 years time, I would have more to show for. I have been rather preoccupied with my jobs, my boyfriend, my growing tool collection (which I did not discuss in this post), and my land and living situation for the last 14 months, and I am feeling a bit sorry about it. Do not get me wrong-- it's not like these things are not aligned with the mission of achieving equilibrium. But most of the writing I have done in that time has just been in private to Brian and to my boyfriend. I could have done a better job of sharing the journey and adding to the Equilibrium Archive. Perhaps I could have built or at least started to build something of worth instead of being caught up in my preoccupations. For not making the best use of all my time, I do apologize. Currently, I do not know whether my time of talking with Brian is over. All I know is that I intend to make good on what he has taught me. For what it's worth, you can read about what he has taught me at the Equilibrium Archive and the Brian Harner Archive. To read the full text of the e-mails he has written me, see All E-mails from Brian.
Thank you for your time and attention.